3 weeks ago
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Traveller Awards: Insider Intel
Our reporters share the bounty of their global roamings, nameing the hottest new spots and experiences alongside old favourites that still deliver.
Mall of fame
The Wunderlich Lane development in Sydney’s Redfern, on the southern border of Surry Hills, has turned a rundown mall into a sophisticated new destination for dining and shopping. Designed by SJB architects as part of the impressive Eve Hotel, Bar Julius is a welcoming lobby bar with all-day dining. The interiors evoke a timeless European bistro where seamless service accompanies great food – go for brunch or try a happy hour cocktail and the shallot tarte tatin. See liquidandlarder.com.au
Take the tint
Never been to India? Plan your trip to coincide with Holi, the vibrant Festival of Colours, a fun celebration with paint-throwing, dancing and food that marks the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. At Delhi’s Leela Palace Hotel there are DJs, an outdoor buffet and pop-up bars – an easy introduction to a unique cultural experience that immerses you in the country’s rich traditions and infectious, joyous spirit. See abercrombiekent.com
Hit the roof
Maison Batard, Chris Lucas’s decadent, four-storey Melbourne restaurant recently named Australia’s best new opening by Gourmet Traveller, has glamour and buzz by the bucketload. For a taste of its Parisian-inspired food and impressive wine collection, head to the rooftop La Terrasse for lush greenery, marble tables and black-cushioned seating – there’s Le Cheeseburger alongside oysters, pâté en croute and the house chocolate mousse. See maisonbatard.com.au
Vietnam ease
For cut-price premium economy or business class flights to Europe, you’ll pay two-thirds to half the price by flying Vietnam Airlines. There’s a lengthy Vietnam layover, but you can make the most of it with a day trip into Saigon or Hanoi. Also, worth considering is low-cost carrier VietJet’s business-class section. Though tiny, it offers a mighty baggage allowance: 18 kilograms of carry-on and up to 60 kilograms of checked luggage. Expect L’Occitane products, no middle-seat misery and the nation’s fabulous cuisine, all for around $2000 return, Melbourne-Hanoi. See vietjetair.com; vietnamairlines.com
Yakitori story
As tourists continue to pour into Tokyo and Kyoto, consider Japan’s lesser-known city, Nagoya. It’s home to the Atsuta-Jingu Shrine, Noritake Ceramics and the Toyota museum, but more importantly it offers a glimpse of city life without the crushing hordes (but you will need Google Translate). Stay at Nagoya Kanko Hotel Espacio, the new hotel within a hotel overlooking Shimozono Park and don’t miss Yaoyorozu, its exceptional yakitori restaurant. See slh.com
Do pay the ferryman
It’s no secret that Waiheke Island produces fabulous wine. A 40-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland, the popular day-trip destination has around 30 wineries, ranging from simple cellar doors to lavish destination restaurants. None, however, are as evocative as Poderi Crisci, a gorgeous Italian-themed property hidden away in the scenic Awaawaroa Valley. Specialising in old world Mediterranean varietals (pinot grigio, arneis and montepulciano), it’s best-known for its indulgent Italian long lunch, a four-hour alfresco feast overlooking the manicured garden. See podericrisci.co.nz
Acropolis wow
Without sounding parochial, if there’s anything better on holiday than discovering an Aussie-style cafe mere steps from your hotel room, we don’t know what it is. Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Athens nails its restaurant offering across the board, but a well-made coffee and freshly (and generously) iced cinnamon bun from Good Chemistry (also much patronised by locals) is a most excellent start to a day lounging by its Palm Springs-inspired pool. See acehotel.com/athens
Swan on inn
The Ritz-Carlton’s Perth’s lobby of Kimberley sandstone, a chandelier to mimic the cascading waters of Karijini Gorges and dramatic Indigenous art from the Pilbara are as stunning as the natural wonders of Western Australia itself. The hotel’s true sense of place extends to a menu of local ingredients from afternoon tea’s Blackbutt honey sponge to Songbird’s rooftop bar for sunset views over the Swan River and a lemon myrtle cocktail served, naturally, in a swan-shaped glass. See ritzcarlton.com
View to a chill
If James Bond were into wellness, The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair is where he’d be. A dark, sexy subterranean space designed by Tokyo-based studio Curiosity, it’s all serene wood, stone and green Ming marble with a 25-metre heated indoor pool (the longest in Mayfair), sauna, gym, vitality pools and two treatment rooms, which you can book even if you’re not staying there. Worth it just for the choc-orange protein balls. See mandarinoriental.com
Heaven and cartel
In a lush corner of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, New York-based art collector Lio Malca has transformed the abandoned beachfront mansion of Pablo Escobar into Casa Malca, a boutique hotel unlike any other. Malca’s curation is both whimsical and world-class, with works from Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat displayed alongside surreal features such as a towering curtain of antique wedding dresses and a subterranean grotto. It is a bold, beautiful and sometimes bizarre stay that effortlessly redefines what it means to be an “art hotel”. See casamalca.com
Overnight sensation
Nothing spells “buzz kill” more than having to schlep home with the hordes after a dazzling night out. Sydney five-star Kimpton Margot in Pitt Street has come to the rescue, offering a stunning “exit, stage left”, for fans of the irreverent Book of Mormon, showing around the corner at the Capitol Theatre. A Dine, Show & Stay package ($738) allows guests to enjoy art deco decadence in a designer overnighter; pocket two A-Reserve theatre tickets and a two-course set menu at Luke’s Kitchen. See ihg.com/kimptonhotels
Basque in glory
It might feel a little strange travelling all the way to Spain and then dining at a spin-off of a Melbourne restaurant, but trust us – you want to go to Geralds Bar in San Sebastián. This is an establishment with Australian ties but a local, Basque mindset, where chef Jess Lorigo uses strictly local, seasonal ingredients to create unique dishes served with a smile (and paired with excellent Spanish wines) by co-owner Bella Bowring. You’ll wish we had this iteration of Geralds at home, too. See geraldsbar.com.au/san-sebastian
Mickey mouths
A recent reimagining of Downtown Disney District (the promenade approaching Disneyland) upends the preconception of bland, uninspiring theme park food, becoming a culinary destination in its own right. Get your slurp on at legendary Taiwanese dumpling house Din Tai Fung; or choose from four upscale food-hall offerings at Parkside Market. Meanwhile, taco aficionados are spoilt for choice with three outlets helmed by Michelin-starred chef Carlos Gaytan: fine dining at Paseo, casual al fresco at Centrico, or street food from Tiendita. See disneyland.disney.go.com
Station break
At the excellent Shangri-La Singapore, the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet is something special. There are nine elaborate food stations in High Street Cafe that provide a culinary journey from Middle Eastern to Western with the likes of Japanese along the way. The choices are deliciously dizzying, but do stop by the Philippine specialty kitchens, and if you’re unfamiliar with the local cuisine, let the chef do the selections for you. The food is authentic and the flavours amazing. See shangri-la.com
Foxy Moxy
Defying conventions that airport hotels must be boring and bland, Moxy Sydney Airport is more West Hollywood than Mascot, with a buzzing bar, cool restaurant and comfy lounge areas with giant games that immediately set the holiday vibe. For regional or outer-Sydney travellers, however, it’s the offer of five free nights of secure parking, along with a complimentary airport shuttle, that’s the real sweetener, making this the ideal choice for those with an early flight. See marriott.com
Speaks volumes
Not only is Porto’s Livraria Lello considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, it also has a secret vault of rare books and manuscripts. Inside the Gemma room you’ll find anything from a first edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray signed by Oscar Wilde to a copy of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Platinum tickets (€50/$89) include priority entry and a guided tour, redeemable towards any purchases. See livrarialello.pt
Dark side
There’s a heightened interest in travel experiences focused on nighttime activities, also known as noctourism. While there are popular packages and cruises to maximise the chance of seeing the Northern Lights, there’s also after-dark safaris – when animals are most active – in Southern Africa, events at iconic sites, art galleries and museums (Petra, Jordan and the Taj Mahal in India, for example). And for star gazing opportunities there are International Dark Sky Places around the world.
Churn baby churn
Butter is having a moment, especially at House Made Hospitality’s ground-floor restaurant snuggled within the revamped Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. Tilda’s $39 bread and butter service comprises a bowl of whipped Pepe Saya butter, a wheel of AP saltbush focaccia and accoutrements such as wildflower honey, macadamia cream and sprigs of watercress – all transported to the table on a butler’s tray. Drinks aficionados can settle in to Bar Tilda to browse its 100-strong Australian whisky “library”. Hotels just became great (for gourmands) again. See tilda.sydney
Cart blanche
Peak-hour users of the Qantas Club lounge at Sydney’s domestic airport are frothing over the arrival of a new feature. To alleviate those long weekday morning queues for barista-brewed coffees, a separate manned coffee cart now speeds up proceedings. It means caffeine addicts, and those cutting it fine, can get their fix faster. Three cheers for that extra shot of commonsense. Let’s hope the idea takes flight in other busy airport lounges. See qantas.com
Loose in Toulouse
In the “other” south of France, l’Occitanie, you can enjoy train travel from €10 ($17.80) a day for unlimited travel from two to six consecutive days. In total, 19 train lines criss-cross l’Occitanie, connecting windswept Mediterranean coastal resorts such as Sete to the snow-capped mountains of the Pyrenees, the fairytale fortress of Carcassonne and the pink city of Toulouse. You won’t get more bang for your buck on France’s train tracks. See visit-occitanie.com
Show stopper
Hushed and moody, the laneway-facing La Madonna bar is the ideal warm-up act before a show. Set on the third floor of Melbourne’s Next Hotel and a five-minute walk to the theatre district, it serves barrel-aged cocktails and substantial snacks, from oysters to lamb ragu, in the intimate couch-filled space. If time allows, make it dinner at the restaurant of the same name with its French and Italian focus. See nexthotelmelbourne.com
Traveller Awards contributors: Kate Allman, Kate Armstrong, Flip Byrnes, Justine Costigan, Jim Darby, Anthony Dennis, Ben Groundwater, Jenny Hewett, Belinda Jackson, Kerry van der Jagt, Julietta Jameson, Trudi Jenkins, Brian Johnston, Ute Junker, Katrina Lobley, Catherine Marshall, Chrissie McClatchie, Rob McFarland, Justin Meneguzzi, Julie Miller, Jane Reddy, Jane Richards, Katherine Scott, Craig Tansley, Lee Tulloch, Sue Williams, Riley Wilson.
